


Sugar is Sweet – And so are You

by orphan_account



Category: Real Ghostbusters
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Glurge, Multi, Valentine's Day
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-04-15
Updated: 2010-04-15
Packaged: 2017-11-18 23:43:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,167
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/566637
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The boys surprise Janine on Valentine's Day. Pure slush.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Sugar is Sweet – And so are You

**Author's Note:**

> Wrote this a long time ago. Finally getting around to posting it. xD

With a soft whoosh, Ray slipped down the firepole from the second floor as the bell clanged in the background, indicating that a new emergency had been called in. Not far behind him were Peter, Winston and Egon, each of them beelining for the lockers to pull on their overalls, it being the first call of the morning.

Sitting at her desk, Janine barely seemed to take notice of the boys suiting up and preparing to head out, her forehead cradled in her palm. Ray glanced over at her and bit his lip. Valentine's day was as rough as ever. Cards had arrived for each of the Ghostbusters from female admirers – Ray had been flattered, but slightly embarrassed, as had Egon; but Winston just laughed off the idea, although noting that he appreciated the gesture. Peter had taken it in stride, adorning his desk with the cards he received – but no cards were in sight on Janine's desk, let alone anything else that might otherwise indicate the occasion.

As Janine caught Ray's gaze, he blushed slightly, and offered her a small smile of encouragement, but it seemed to do little to lift her mood. It wasn't hard to see why she was disappointed. Upon being questioned about the cards he had received, Egon had gotten increasingly embarrassed, fumbling a reply about attraction being little more than a trick of brain chemistry before excusing himself to continue working in the lab.

Wordlessly, Egon got into the back of the Ecto-1 along with Peter, Winston taking the wheel. Sitting next to Winston, ideas began to take shape in Ray's head as he tried to decide how to fix Valentine's day for Janine. She deserved better, and he was determined to see to it that she received better treatment. Or, at the very least... help her to feel better.

***

The bust had been fairly simple – a class five free-roaming vaporous apparition masquerading as a Cupid had taken over a newspaper shop, using the Valentine's decorations – such as cardboard hearts – as weapons to beat customers over the head. It had taken a little while to corner the menace, who still insisted on chucking at them whatever other decorations it could get its grubby, ectoplasmic mitts on. However, once they had it cornered, ensnaring it in the proton streams and lowering it into the trap had been a dawdle.

“Guess what they say is true,” Peter quipped as they surveyed the mess the Cupid had left behind. “Love hurts.”

Egon shot him glare, and Ray winced. Thankfully, they were spared from having to discuss it further as the proprietor reappeared from behind the counter and asked Peter about the billing. Winston and Egon disappeared back outside to put the traps and packs in the car.

Ray ruffled through his pockets, hunting down some spare change before picking out a pack of felt-tip pens, an envelope and a glossy sheet of card. Peter arched a brow, but said nothing as Ray paid for them, an excited gleam in the scientist's eyes.

***

After arriving back at the Firehouse, the rest of the morning had been fairly quiet. Egon had retreated to his lab, and as Slimer had managed to clear out the fridge over the weekend, Peter and Winston had decided to shop for groceries, leaving Ray in the downstairs lab and Janine at her desk.

Sometime later, Ray emerged, glancing around as he approached the ground floor of the Firehouse.

“Ah, uhm... Janine?” Ray prompted for her attention, hiding something behind his back. He couldn't help feeling slightly nervous.

“Uhuh?” Janine didn't even look up from the crossword she was filling out.

“I, uhm...” It was going to be hard to phrase exactly what he wanted to tell her. Swallowing, he tried his best to tamp down the anxiety, and said, “I... know... this won't be easy to hear right now, but... I just wanted you to know that we all care about you, and that we love you, Janine.”

That got her attention. Janine looked up at him, surprised, yet slightly guarded. Revealing the hand that was behind his back, Ray passed her the enveloped, folded card he had bought. On the front, it was labeled in Ray's handwriting, just her name, very simple.

Janine's guardedness seemed to melt as she opened the envelope and tugged the card free, reading the front:

_Roses are 1111 1111 0000 0000 0000 0000_

_Violets are 0000 0000 0000 0000 1111 1111_

_All my base_

_Are belong to You._

“Oh, Ray...”

“Happy Valentine's day, Janine,” Ray replied with a smile as Janine flung her arms around his belly to give him a big hug. He wrapped his arms around her shoulders, holding her close.

Just then, the front doors of the Firehouse opened, signaling that Peter and Winston had returned.

“Oh, Jan-iiiii-iine~”, Peter sang, grinning as he got out of the car. Janine set the card on her table, as she and Ray turned to the two men, both of whom were also holding their hands behind their backs.

“We brought you a little something,” Winston told her, also grinning. From behind Peter's back, came a large bunch of flowers, and Winston set a heart-shaped box of chocolates on her desk.

“Happy Valentine's day,” both men chorused.

“You guys really didn't have to do that,” Janine told them, blushing slightly, “but thank you for doing it anyway.”

“Well, we thought it was about time we showed some appreciation for our favorite lady,” Winston said, perching on the edge of her desk.

“I'll say an amen to that,” Peter nodded.

“I felt real bad for you, this morning,” Ray agreed. “You seemed so unhappy.”

“And it's not to say we don't appreciate your presence throughout the continuing year,” added an extra voice from the staircase. Looking slightly abashed, Egon continued down the stairs, halting in front of Janine's desk. Revealing a medium-sized, pink box tied with white ribbon, Egon passed it to her. “As a gesture of my affection,” he added.

“Egon, you rascal,” Peter lightheartedly punched his arm, and Egon cleared his throat, slipping his glasses back up his nose, a faint blush coloring his cheeks.

“Egon...” Janine whispered as she opened the box and took out what was inside – a silk, leopard print scarf. “It's beautiful...” She tied on the scarf, and got to her feet, going to Egon's side and kissing him on the cheek. “Thank you,” she croaked, her voice almost sounding like she might cry.

“I'm glad you like it,” Egon replied gently, slipping an arm around her shoulder.

“Here's to Janine,” Ray smiled.

“To Janine,” the men chorused their assent, Janine's face radiant with joy.

Just then, the moment was interrupted by the telephone, but Janine's smile didn't fade. If love was simply a chemical reaction in the brain, then perhaps she could get to like this feeling after all.

“Alright, you're up,” she told them cheerfully. “Got what sounds like a class three, maybe class four, on 13th street...”

END


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